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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

PASS THE TEST THE FIRST TIME

I once had a Sunday School teacher who would always caution us this way.
"When God gives you a test, learn from it and pass it the first time.
If you don't, He will be sure to give you a retest." Perhaps I took this
a little more literally than she meant it but I took that to heart. I
knew from experience that one test was better than two, especially on
the same subject matter. Fortunately I had never had to take but one or
two retests in school and when that happened, the whole class had to
take a retest. However, I also knew that God deals with each of us
individually. The tests that He had let come my way were hard enough to
go through once. I certainly didn't want to have to go through the same
test or trial twice so I began to really pay attention when a particular
test came my way.

I rationalized that if I had to have other
tests, I at least wanted them to be on different areas of my life and
not again and again in the same area. Of course, God is always growing
us in the faith and so He allows these trials to come NOT to punish us
but to help us grow to trust Him and roll our cares onto Him. If we
decide to "take things into our own hands", He will often let us but He
will give us another similar situation before long, looking to see if
this time we will look to Him to solve our situation rather than run to
friends or try to solve them ourselves. Friends are fine for support but
only God ever really orchestrates an answer to our trial even if He
uses friends.

I found the following quote from one of my favorite
heroes of the faith, George Mueller. It is rather long but take a few
minutes to let it soak in. You may find that you want to read it more
than once because it is rich with wisdom on the same subject that I was
addressing. Of course, he does a much better job of it!

"Wherever
God has given faith, it is given, among other reasons, for the very
purpose of being tried. Yea, however weak our faith may be, God will try
it; only with this restriction, that as, in every way, He leads on
gently, gradually, patiently, so also with reference to the trial of our
faith. At first our faith will be tried very little in comparison with
what it may be afterwards; for God never lays more upon us than He is
willing to enable us to bear. Now when the trial of faith comes, we are
naturally inclined to distrust God, and to trust rather in ourselves, or
in our friends, or in circumstances. We will rather work a deliverance
of our own somehow or other, than simply look to God and wait for His
help. But if we do not patiently wait for God's help, if we work a
deliverance of our own, then at the next trial of our faith it will be
thus again, we shall be again inclined to deliver ourselves; and thus
with every fresh instance of that kind, our faith will decrease; whilst,
on the contrary, were we to stand still in order to see the salvation
of God, to see His hand stretched out on our behalf, trusting in Him
alone, then our faith would be increased, and with every fresh case in
which the hand of God is stretched out on our behalf in the hour of the
trial of our faith, our faith would be increased yet more. Would the
believer, therefore, have his faith strengthened, he must especially,
give time to God, who tries his faith in order to prove him, and then to
provide the moment it is good for him." George Muller, Narratives

I
don't know about you, but I am going to try even harder to learn from
the trial the first time it comes around. It really is much easier and
less burdensome to just trust God in the first place. When I have done
that, I have never had Him let me down. George Mueller had such faith,
that he did such things as getting in a line without a ticket to go
somewhere that he thought God was leading him. He usually had no money
at all but he knew that God would provide what he needed before he
reached the front of the line. And you know what? God always did provide
in that way for him. Oh, the feats of faith we could accomplish with
the simple faith of a child. If God can do those things for a simple man
like George Mueller, He can certainly do them for us whatever the
trial, situation or need is.

I want to be a person of great faith
and great trust. I do not want to have to take retests in the trial
department. How about you? God is always faithful but we have to decide
to turn our burdens over to Him. He will not yank them out of our hands.
May God help us all to trust Him more. Life would be filled with so
much more joy and peace if we ever learned that lesson. Come join me on
the faith journey, won't you?

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Peace in the Midst of a Storm

I have a dear friend who is in the midst of a raging storm in her heart, mind and soul right now due to devastating circumstances. They were circumstances that were not brought on by her nor could they have been prevented by her. She knows where her peace will come from as she rides out this storm. She shared with me in tears that when she is able to give this completely over to the Lord, she knows that peace will come. But for some reason, she is finding this hard to do quickly. If you knew the circumstances, you would understand how huge a thing it is that she needs to unload onto the Father's shoulders. But it is something that came upon her quickly and had tragic results.
Many people are uplifting her in prayer at this time and she feels the prayers and is very grateful.
I was listening to this song by Laura Story and realized how perfectly they fit my precious friend's situation. I'm hoping that she can let the words of it rain on her soul gently, softly and soothe the hurt and the wounds. I'm praying that she will hold her head back and let the rain of God's redemptive waters touch her parched tongue and quench her need of refreshing peace and soothing gentle hands on her temple reminding her that everything is going to be alright in His hands.
I don't know how many others there are in need of this same
peace, but it is available to all who come to the fountains of the Lord and drink. Only there will true peace soothe your spirit and renew your soul. Drink, my friend, drink!

Manhattan Declaration

Karen's Korner

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About Me

I have been teaching Bible studies and speaking of the overwhelming love of Christ for thirty years. God has grounded me in His Word which has enabled me to stand through great storms. It is my passion to encourage others to put down roots in this powerful Word. My primary spiritual gift of teaching has been especially effective in sharing because God showed me early on the importance of being willing to be transparent and vulnerable in sharing my own life experiences with others. I would be delighted to speak to your women's groups or to mixed groups in retreats or special events. I reside in Columbia, S.C., with my husband Bill and I have two children and two very special grands!
"Karen King is an inspiration on and off the platform. She is an excellent communicator who is encouraging, honest, practical, hope-giving, and biblically sound. Her face reflects the joy of the Lord. You will be blessed by her ministry as she communicates His truth with confidence and clarity."
Carol Kent, Speaker and Author
Speak Up Ministries
www.CarolKent.org